Firming the Foundation
by purrpickle
Summary: "You've been avoiding me for days. And at first, I was thinking, oh, that's okay, she'll get back to me when she wants to. She's an adult and I know she's still in the city so she hasn't gone off to save the world with her friends again without telling me." One-shot, complete.


**A/N:** I don't own Supergirl nor the characters within. This is the Secret Kalex Santa 2019 exchange fic I wrote for Rebelrsr. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Stabbing her fork into her sixth pancake, Kara glowered down at the pieces dripping syrup as they made their journey up to her mouth. Washing down the bite with a swig of ice cold water, she ignored the slim figure sliding into the chair across from her.

Observing her, Alex sighed, shaking her head with a soft, slight smile turning the corners of her lips up. "Are you at least giving them a fighting chance to stay open by paying by stack?" she asked.

Kara huffed through her nose, stuffing another bite into her mouth.

"Good." Signaling the waitress hovering around in the background to order herself an omelet and glass of orange juice, Alex leaned forward. "Kar, are you going to tell me why you're drowning your sorrows in pancakes? Everyone's worried about you. Winn was even talking about using some kind of LoJack to find you, before I gently 'reminded' him that we're not tracking you by your suit anymore."

Flat blue eyes gave her an unamused look, then dropped as Kara swallowed another mouthful.

Frowning, Alex shifted in her seat, running a hand over her hair before shaking her head. "If you don't talk to me, how can I he-"

Kara's fork scraped loudly along the bottom of her plate.

And a glass of orange juice was set in front of Alex. "Anything else I can get you two?" the waitress asked, looking between them, pausing for only a second before she turned to Alex. "Your food should be out soon, hun."

"Thanks," Alex responded, eyes squarely locked onto Kara's lowered frames. As the waitress walked away, she opened her mouth, closed it, then stood up, the sound of her chair legs along the floor making Kara look up. "Well, scoot over," she said firmly, coming up along the side of the table to slide into the booth next to Kara, an insistent hand against her sister's thigh getting her to actually move for her. As soon as she was situated, reaching across the table to grab her orange juice, she looked at Kara and took a sip.

Kara's hand tightened around the fork, then, as Alex's gaze slid down to watch it, she forcibly relaxed, setting it down onto the plate. Picking up a napkin, she wiped her mouth.

Alex put her glass down. "Well?"

"Why are you over here?" Kara's voice was low, slow.

"It got you to talk, didn't it?"

Kara frowned, looking away, only to flinch and snap back when Alex's hand wrapped around hers.

"Hey," Alex studied her, concern softening her features. "We're worried about you."

Raising her hand to adjust her glasses, Kara tucked her hair behind her ear, other fingers warm under Alex's palm.

"_I'm_ worried about you. Even if you don't want to talk to me, maybe you could find someone else? Kara… This is the fifth restaurant I've tracked you to."

"You could have called me."

"I did." Alex's voice was pointed, eyebrows raised as Kara looked at her, "But, you know, it's kind of hard when your sister leaves her cell phone at the sushi bar." Taking her hand off Kara's to reach into her jacket pocket, she pulled said cell phone out, half smiling as Kara slumped with a small, "Oh," easily giving it up when Kara reached out for it. "That's not like you."

Kara's answer was stiff. "Thank you for finding it for me."

"You're lucky the owners and staff of Umiya Sushi like you."

"_I know_." Taking a deep breath after her snapped response, Kara closed her eyes, head dipping.

"…And here's your omelet," the waitress interrupted, smiling at them, "Looks like you relocated. Is it more comfortable over there?"

Alex gave her a flat smile. "Something like that."

"Tell me about it. Hard as a rock, these." Winking as she slid Alex's plate in front of her, the woman turned to Kara, looking between the two. "Anything else I can get you?"

Already in the process of stuffing the last few pieces of pancake into her mouth, Kara pushed the plate towards the waitress. "Another," she swallowed, mouth still full. After a second, still muffled, "Please."

Nodding, if her eyes a little big, the waitress excused herself after Alex declined.

Watching her go, Alex smiled slightly to herself, picking up her own fork. "What number is that?" she asked.

"It's fine. They know me here."

Alex gave her a pointed look. "That's not what I asked."

Kara shrugged. "It's what I answered."

Pausing with her fork cutting into her omelet, Alex sighed and shook her head. "Alright," she said tightly, keeping her voice low, "It's obvious whatever's wrong with you has to do with me. So." She scooped up her food, "Out with it."

"What?"

"Go on." Nodding and taking her bite, Alex chewed and swallowed. "You can barely _look at me_, and I want to know why."

Kara's hands curled in her lap. She didn't answer.

Alex sighed, an angry, frustrated, worried thing. "Okay, Kara. If you don't want to do this here, I'll get this to go. And your pancakes, too."

Kara's answer was short. "Thank you."

* * *

Shutting the door to her apartment, Alex paused, still facing the door. She'd been quiet and tense on the drive home, not trying to speak to Kara, who had stared out the window with her arms crossed, just as silent and tense. Finally, she inhaled and straightened, a forced neutral look on her face as she turned around. "Do you want to break up?"

"What?" Kara stopped, pulling her hand back from where she had been tossing her glasses onto the island counter.

"Well, what am I supposed to think?" Alex swallowed, voice rising, a hand coming up to her suddenly watering eyes before moving down to press against her lips, "You've been avoiding me for days. And at first, I was thinking, oh, that's okay, she'll get back to me when she wants to. She's an adult and I know she's still in the city so she hasn't gone off to save the world with her friends again without telling me." She swallowed again, turning to look at Kara, eyes dark. "And I was okay with that. I was worried, but I figured you just wanted some space."

Kara sighed, closing her eyes. "I did," she answered flatly.

"See? You did. But it's been a week. A _week_, Kar. You haven't not talked to me in over a week since I went to college. And no one _else_ had heard from you. So I call. And call. And now I'm _really_ worried, because you're not picking up. So I used my 'agent skills' to find you. And when I do…" Her voice cracked, tears slipping down her face, "You can barely _look_ at me.

"So do you want to break up? Is that what this is?"

Kara inhaled in frustration, stepping forward and opening her mouth, "Alex - "

"What am I supposed to _think_, Kara? God, I never wanted to be one of those clingy, jealous girls, always worried a relationship will end. But this is the only thing I can think of. We're not near any anniversaries that I know of, good _or_ bad, so…" Alex cleared her throat, forcing herself to look up and meet Kara's eyes. "Tell me."

Kara threw up her hands, voice rising as well. "I don't want to _break up_, Alex. But yes, I _am_ mad at you! And I've been thinking and thinking and realizing why, and I'm not just angry. I'm _hurt_, too. And now you're forcing me to talk about it when I wasn't ready to, yet!"

"What did I do?"

"Last week. At the crime scene. That police detective."

"Maggie?" Alex asked.

"_Yes_," Kara crossed her arms, "'_Maggie_'. She was _flirting_ with you. She _has_ been flirting with you. For _weeks_! And you may not think it, oh, you may not think it, Alex, but you've been flirting back. At first I thought it was unintentional. Gave you the benefit of the doubt. But even when I gave you _all_ chances to tell her, you didn't." She paused, "I even flew up behind you. Put my arm around you. And you didn't do it!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You didn't tell her we were together!"

"Wait, wait, wait." Alex brought her hand up to her forehead, pushing through her bangs. Anger and disbelief warred on her face. "Are you saying you're mad at me because you wanted me to _advertise _the fact that I'm dating Supergirl?"

"_Yes_!"

"_Why_?" Alex stopped. She sputtered. "Why? Kara, how can you - ? I can't believe – I don't - " She shook her head. "I don't. I just… Don't."

"Because I'm _your sister_!" Kara burst out, Alex drawing back and staring at her. "Your sister, Alex. At least in the eyes of everyone else. I'm Kara _Danvers_, and I know you won't tell her about me. It's why we don't tell anyone who isn't a friend!" She swallowed, lifting her chin. "So I gave you Supergirl."

The words throbbed in the air between them.

"You gave me Supergirl," Alex repeated, voice quiet.

"Yes." Starting to sniffle, the outburst having released some of her anger, Kara walked over towards the couch, slowly sitting down on it. She clasped her hands on her legs in front of her. "I gave you Supergirl."

Alex slowly walked over to join her, staring at her the whole time as she settled into the cushion next to her. "You have to talk to me about this first, you know," she said mildly, "About me dating Supergirl."

"Why?"

"You know why. It wouldn't make anyone I know safe. With technology today, it wouldn't take anyone long at all to find out who I was, and to get to you… They'd get to me." She slowly reached out, exhaling in relief as Kara didn't move away, instead pushing her leg in closer as Alex softly stroked up and down above her knee. "So when you 'flew up', I didn't think anything of it." She cocked her head, a smile flirting on her face. "Though it _does_ explain why you were standing so _close_."

Kara bit her lip, shrugging. "I was jealous."

"You don't have to be." Alex stopped, shifting in closer and taking Kara's hands in hers, squeezing them. "I already told Maggie I had a girlfriend." She studied Kara's face, following her head down as she dipped it. "So you may not like hearing this, but I hung out a bit with Maggie last week. Playing pool, talking about being women in law enforcement, talking to her about aliens to get a read on how she feels about them." She shrugged. "Ambivalent, mostly. Mainly concerned with the ones that break the law, and wanting to keep everyone safe." She paused. "And talking to her about how she wants to get back together with her ex, Kate Kane."

"Kate?"

"I know, right?" Alex grinned. "But I can see it." Then, she sobered. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way, but you can't just shut me out. You were angry for a _week_, Kara, and that can't be healthy. And because I didn't know how you felt, I couldn't help you feel better." Her voice lowered, "And you hurt _me_, too. You scared me, Kara. A lot. When I walked through the front door, I was convinced you were breaking up with me." She half smiled, a self deprecating thing. "That came through loud and clear, right?"

Kara sat up, sliding her hands up Alex's arms to pull her in, settling her head onto her shoulder and wrapping around her, burying her face into her hair. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I may have been mad at you, but I never _once_ thought about breaking up with you."

It was with a quiet, relieved voice that Alex answered. "That's good to know."

Time passed, and then Kara, softly, spoke up, "I think I should find someone to talk to."

And Alex, lacing her hand through Kara's, nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

"Maybe you should, too."

"I have someone. They're called the DEA's mandatory counseling sessions."

"_Alex_. That is once a month! And I have those, too. We both know you don't like her."

"She looks at me like she's dissecting me. It's creepy."

"Then we'll find you someone new."

"_We_?"

"You know what I mean!"

"I do. Dork."


End file.
